The Things We Do for Love
by Devil Woman
Summary: Reader Request for Undercover Diva233! Rocket and his girlfriend take a romantic getaway and spend time with one another.


The Things We Do for Love

By Devil Woman

DISCLAIMER: All characters are copy righted by Disney/Marvel. I own nothing. I also do not own the character of Victoria "Vicki" Payne; that character was created by Undercover Diva233.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was asked by Undercover Diva233 to write a romantic short story involving her OC and Rocket and I was up to the challenge! This is my first reader request and I hope I was able to fulfill what the author wanted in this story. I also hope this leads to more reader requests in the near future! Read and Review!

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><p>Normally when the Guardians of the Galaxy received any messages, it was a job offer from the Nova Corps (or someone with a boatload of money to offer the group for their services). And normally, it was Peter who answered said message; he was their leader and had the ability to charm the pants off just about anyone. But this time when the <em>Milano<em> had an incoming message, it was Rocket that answered the page.

He was near the monitor, anyway. The raccoon was taking a break from messing about in his workshop; busted guns and engine parts don't fix themselves! He had just opened the door to the refrigerator and was grabbing a bottle of water when the overhead monitor flashed red.

"Incoming message." Rocket mocked, glad that the _Milano_ didn't have a pesky artificial intelligence installed. The ship, however, did have voice command options that Rocket fitted into the main processor (a perk for someone of his size and limited reach).

"Accept message." He commanded as he still had his buried in the fridge, now eying some cold cuts to make a sandwich.

"Rocky, is that you?!" That voice…could it be?

Rocket jerked his head toward the monitor, a lone pickle dangling from his mouth like a cigar.

"Vicki."

"The one and only."

On the video screen was a young African-American woman who was around her late teens. Her long black hair was in a pony tail that was tied with a simple hairband. The teen's blue cat suit was a bit beat-up looking, but still looked brand new.

Rocket snapped the pickle in half and quickly ate the half that was still in his mouth. "Vicki! Glad to finally hear from ya!" he exclaimed happily. "It was getting' kinda lonely here on the ship without you."

"I missed you too." She told him, smiling.

"So, when do you think you'll return? I know that training you signed up for was gonna take a while."

"Four weeks isn't that long! But I have good news! I'm off this weekend and I was hoping we could spend it together…just like old times."

Rocket smiled. Victoria Payne might have not been a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy for very long, but she proved herself to be an equal among the rest of the team.

An adapt of telekinesis and with the ability to produce orbs for teleportation, Vicki (as she preferred to be called) aided the Guardians in many battles. Up until recently, the teen had only thought that was all the powers she possessed. But during a more recent mission with the group, the girl discovered some dormant powers: the ability to control and freeze water!

It happened by accident. As Peter "I'm also known as Star-Lord, damnit!" Quill and Gamora where picking off the enemy; Drax and Groot right behind them. Rocket was firing off his gun as Vicki dodged to and fro to grab the data packet the thugs stole. Suddenly, the raccoon was about to be ambushed from behind, unaware as he was yelling from the tops of lungs in glee.

"Rocket!" Vicki shouted and then inadvertently summoned a stream of ice from her fingertips.

The ice froze the thugs in their spots as nearly all the Guardians looked on in shock.

"Did you know about this?" Peter asked the teen as he thumbed at the thug popsicles.

"No…I always thought I possessed telekinesis and orbing. This is new to me."

After getting in contact with her old team, the Justice League, Vicki returned to Earth to get help controlling her new-found powers.

"That'll be swell! You have anything in mind?" Rocket asked.

"There's this Winter Ball on Planet Mercury that I would love to attend! It's not too late to book a reservation."

"Sounds…fun." Rocket loved Vicki; there was no question about it. But to say he had the same level of charisma as Peter when it came to women; Rocket had training wheels while the Terran could ride that bike without help.

Vicki understood the bounty hunter's hesitation. Rocket's past as an unwilling test subject had made the animal develop a negative outlook on how others would view him; Rocket believed that everyone would treat him as a monstrosity no matter what he did to prove them wrong. When Vicki was assigned to the group of heroes by the Nova Corps, Rocket and she got along immediately. Vicki saw the animal not as a rejected experiment, but as a true person who deeply cared for those he was close with.

When he felt comfortable enough, the raccoon played the flirt card. He would throw out sweet, romantic comments to the witch as they fought their enemies, to which Vicki happily responded. So after playing Hot Potato with their feelings, the critter and the witch came to an agreement: they would give their unusual relationship a try and become a couple. The two had been dating for a while and so far, things where good. They fought, of course, but it always ended with a loving embrace and apologies to one another for acting like idiots.

The idea of a romantic getaway with his love excited Rocket, but also nerve-wracking. Would he come off like complete moron and royally screw things up?

Vicki saw the apprehensive look on the raccoon's face. "Rocket…it doesn't matter what happens. I love you for you. As you've proudly stated, there's no one like me, except me." Vicki's confidence in him eased Rocket's ill will over the upcoming weekend.

"Alright, anything you want, luv! I'll start packing!"

"Great! See you in a few days!" Vicki squealed as she ended the transmission.

"Ugh! The way you two act is so sickly sweet, I wanna barf!"

Rocket turned to see Peter leaning against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest and a huge smirk on his face.

"Cute. But at least I have a girlfriend and you just have your right hand." The raccoon bantered.

"Not cool, bro. Not cool." Peter grimaced.

The ex-bounty hunter chuckled. "Seriously though, I just want to have this weekend go well. I just…want something to go right for once in my life." He looked so sad after saying this.

Peter's mood changed and he offered his friend some comforting words.

"Rocket. The way you and Vicki get along is how everyone in a relationship should be. The two of you accept one another's faults and are willing to protect each other at any cost. Like Vicki said, she is happy with you no matter how bad things get."

"Thanks, Quill."

"Anytime. Now! Let me give you some helpful tips on how to sweep your girlfriend off her feet!" Peter's sudden change in tone took Rocket by surprise.

"Do I really want romance advice from the womanizer of the group?" he said with sarcasm.

"In a sense, I think you should. It never hurts to learn a thing or two."

Rocket let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine, but make it snappy. I've got a lot of things to do before that trip."

Peter grinned like a madman and dragged his nonchalant friend away to get a crash course in charm school.

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><p>The weekend came and Rocket paced back and forth nervously. Vicki said she would be here by now! He glanced at the clock. She was late! Peter and the rest of the heroes noticed the poor animal's anxious attitude and tried to calm him down.<p>

"Whoa, easy on the pacing! I don't need to have an unwanted dent of the floor." Peter said.

"Friend Rocket, please ease your worries. I am sure Victoria is safely arriving at the port this very moment." said Drax.

"I am Groot."

"I know, but…"Rocket started to say when Gamora interrupted him.

"But nothing! Vicki will get here when she does. Besides, you don't want to be in a frazzled state when she sees you after being away for so long."

"You're right. Being this nervous is no good." Rocket took a deep, calming breath, which helped.

The passenger spaceship pulled into the unloading dock and everyone filed out. Rocket perked his head and scanned the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of his girlfriend. He spotted her and let a big, happy smile appear on his face.

"Vicki, over here!" he called out, waving his arm frantically.

The teen spotted him and soon met up with the guardians. When everyone finished exchanging hellos and hugs, the group escorted the witch and raccoon to the gate where the two would board their ship to Planet Mercury. As they waited to be called, Vicki asked Rocket if he remembered to pack enough warm clothing.

"I know how much you hate the cold, Rocky. I don't need you to be sick, though caring for an ill raccoon would be romantic in some respects." She stated.

"Nurse Vicki…nice ring to it." Rocket purred to her, to which she giggled.

"Be sure he's all bundled up." Peter then snickered, realizing what he had just said. "Heh. Now that's an image: You in multiple layers. You'd look just like that kid from _A Christmas Story_." The Terran told Rocket as he muffled his speech and waddled in place to simulate the little boy being over-dressed in the film.

Rocket, Groot, Drax and Gamora didn't understand the joke, but Vicki did and scolded Peter.

"At least he won't end up an icicle under my watch."

Peter laughed after he finished doing his impression and apologized for his remark. The overhead speaker announced that the flight to Planet Mercury was now boarding. Everyone said goodbye to one another and watched Rocket and Vicki enter the passenger spaceship.

"And there goes the happy couple." Peter said as the ship took off.

"I hope those two have a wonderful time." Gamora said in an airy voice full of longing. While she and Vicki where friends, the former assassin of Thanos was a bit jealous; maybe someday Gamora would be able to go on trips with her significant other.

The thief noticed the green-skin beauty's melancholy expression and tried his best to remedy the situation. "Well, since the furball will be out of our hair for the weekend; how about you, me, a bottle of wine…" Peter told her, giving Gamora a boyish grin.

"Keep it in your pants, Quill." She responded, shooting an icy glare at him.

"Keep what in his pants, Gamora? I'm sure Peter has the keys to _Milano_ in his jacket pocket." Drax commented.

"Uh, perhaps I should explain what that means without the additional assistance of Peter here." Gamora frowned at Peter once more, who playfully shrugged it off.

The flight to Planet Mercury went without any problems. After they got off the spaceship, Rocket and Vicki quickly headed to the hotel where the ball was being held. Per her suggestion, Rocket was grateful for wearing his winter gear; the location was chilly! Inside the lobby, the two signed in and got the key to their suite. Rocket made sure to book a deluxe room; he wanted to spare no expense when it came to romancing the woman in his life!

"I think you're gonna love the room I picked, Vicki." He said as he unlocked the door.

She stepped inside and gasped in awe. The suite was a large living space adorned with vases of fresh-cut flowers. The flowers popped out in bright colors against the room's tones of seashell white and Tiffany Blue. On the king sized bed was white rose petals scattered across the cream-colored bedding.

"Oh Rocket, this room is beautiful!" she said, gushing over the decor. As the couple entered the room, Rocket noticed a large black garment bag Vicki placed on the bed as she was busy hanging up her coat in the closet.

"What's in the bag?" he asked.

"The dress I bought for the ball this Sunday. And no peeking! I want it to be a surprise for you." The young woman said.

"You tease." Rocket said, to which Vicki gave me a playful wink.

After settling in, Vicki held up a brochure that listed the events and activities the hotel had to correspond with the ball.

"There is so much to do; I can't decide what activities to pick! What do you suggest, Rocky?"

He took the pamphlet from her and studied it. "There's an ice skating rink the place built just for this occasion. I know you love to ice skate, so how about that? Never been ice skating myself, but I know I'll have a good teacher to instruct me." The raccoon replied, giving Vicki a smile.

"It'll be my pleasure." She said.

The two arrived at the ice rink and got their ice skate rentals. Sitting on a bench, Rocket tied his laces tight and stood up. Feeling wobbly, he inched over to the witch who took his paw into her hand.

"How do you stand in these thing?! I feel like a drunk when I walk." Rocket told her.

"With practice. Don't worry; I'll be by your side the entire time. You'll fall a lot, but falling is half the fun of learning to ice skate."

"If you say so." He was unsure, but trusted Vicki.

She and Rocket headed into the rink and slowly made their way around. Just like she predicted, Rocket did fall down—a lot. He scowled at first when Vicki chuckled over him falling on his backside, but soon Rocket was laughing as much as she when Vicki fell herself a few times.

"And you're supposed to be the expert." Rocket quipped.

"Even professionals can take a tumble or two and be modest about it." Vicki remarked.

Regardless of who was the better skater, the two enjoyed encircling the rink hand in hand with the other couples on the rink, blissfully enjoying this new activity to bond over.

The following day, there was a snow castle contest being held. As the two watched the professional builders create amazing works out of the snow, the teen suggested that they give snow castle building a try.

"It should be a piece of cake! If I can build a sand castle, surely I can do the same with snow." Rocket said, feeling confident.

Using the snow castle building kits from the local shop, the raccoon and the teen found an area that was less crowded. They began to build a basic castle from the snow, carefully shaping the towers and walls. When they felt they were finished, Rocket and Vicki stepped back to admire their creation.

The snow castle was about two feet wide with tall steeple towers and a moat. Using a stick, Rocket and Vicki carved various swirls and patterns into the walls, adding much needed character to an otherwise plain castle.

"Truly a castle fit for a king and his queen." The ex-bounty hunter commented and held Vicki's hand in his.

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><p>The last night of the couple's romantic weekend came and it meant only one thing: the Winter Ball. The suite the two wherein had separate bathrooms and the couple where busy preparing for the gala. The raccoon looked at himself in the mirror and sneered. He normally hated getting all dressed up, even if it was for the guardian's annual meeting with the Nova Corps.<p>

Dressed in a tuxedo, Rocket mumbled to himself as he made sure to splash some of Peter's cologne that he borrowed. That idiot had so many bottles of the stinky stuff it was nauseating!

"I ain't bringing any of that frou-frou stuff!" Rocket had yelled at Peter when the Terran kept shoving cologne bottles at the raccoon.

"The ladies love a sweet-smelling man! And with the right scent and your raging hormones: magic happens!"

"You're a sick man. You know that, right Pete?"

"Fine, go on your romantic retreat smelling like something crawled out of the dumpster." Peter said and turned his back to Rocket. "I just want to help out my friend and make sure you have the most memorable weekend of your life."

Rocket did feel a bit ashamed; Peter was just trying to make sure that he was going to have a great weekend with Vicki.

"Fine, give me a bottle to pack in my suitcase." Rocket grumbled. "And for your information, I don't smell like a dumpster all the time!"

As he sprayed the cologne on his fur, Rocket had to admit Peter was an expert at knowing what scents worked best. The scent had a woody-citrusy smell to it. It wasn't to over powering and Vicki was going to like it!

"OK…Show time!" Rocket gave himself a pep-talk before exiting the bathroom to meet up with his girlfriend.

Within a few minutes, Vicki appeared. The way she looked made the raccoon's jaw almost drop to the floor! The young witch wore the blue ball gown she had bought for the ball wonderfully; it fit her like a glove. The rows of silver beads in the dress were stitched in wavy patterns highlighted her curves beautifully and the color of the gown complimented her dark skin. Vicki's long black hair was styled in soft waves as they fell down her back. Her make-up was soft and inviting.

"Vicki. You're gorgeous!" Rocket said, acting like the love-sick fool that he was. She could have worn a potato sack and the teen would still have been beautiful!

"Thank you. You are very handsome in your tux."

"Aw, shucks." He blushed, humbled by the comment. "You know, I hate wearing this monkey suit."

"Call it what you want, you look good, hun." Vicki said and gave Rocket a kiss on the cheek.

"May I?" Rocket extended his arm out to her, to which Vicki happily accepted.

They entered the grand ballroom and the two admired the layout. The hotel at Planet Mercury went all out with the decorations for the annual event! The great hall was decked out in a winter wonderland motif complete with snowflakes and icicles that came from fake tree branches. The blue, white and silver color scheme had an Art Deco feel to it that created a classic air in the room. The other patrons gleefully danced and socialized as the live band played on.

Rocket pulled out Vicki's chair as she took her seat across from his. They ordered dinner and enjoyed their meal as they played catch up with one another.

"It must be nice to see the guys from your old team again." Rocket said as he cut into his meat.

"Very. The members of the Justice League are like my second family. Of course, you and the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy are like family too. I often think about you guys; I hope things are going well for all of you." said Vicki as she ate some of her ratatouille.

"The gang and I are doing just fine. I gotta admit going out on missions ain't the same without you. You may have not been a part of our team for very long, but I am proud to call you a fellow hero."

Vicki was humbled by Rocket's compliment. 'So Nova Prime's decision to assign me as a fellow Guardian of the Galaxy was a good choice?"

"Not a good choice. An excellent choice!"

"I'm glad. I'll be frank; I was hesitant when I first became a Guardian. I thought my abilities where novice compared to the rest of you. My background has mostly been battling against foes on Earth."

"You had doubts?! But you won against Darkseid!"

"Rocket. That wasn't an everyday occurrence. I mostly got stuck with weak-willed enemies. I nearly died in that battle with Darkseid! But since being with the Guardians…I have grown more confident in my fighting skills against other-worldly enemies. After all, I had a great mentor." Vicki let a demure smile appear.

"That you did." Rocket's ears shot up when the band started up again. "Say, would the lady care for a dance? I must warn you, I've been taking lessons from Quill."

The witch laughed. "That man knows how to dance like I know how to knit, which means hardly!"

"You'll be pleasantly surprised. So, how about that dance?"

"I'd be honored."

Rocket led Vicki onto the dance floor. It was awkward at first due to their height differences, but they didn't care. What mattered the most was that the raccoon and the teen where enjoying their slow dance to Eric Clapton's "Let It Grow".

It was odd hearing the 1974 Terran song being played by the alien band; perhaps after the group's win over Ronan, the galaxy become more appreciative of Peter's fondness for his world's music. Whatever the case, the song was perfect for Rocket and Vicki to dance to. The lyrics talked about falling in love and letting it blossom in time, yet the tone of the song was full of remorse (at least that's what Rocket took from it). He looked up at the witch, who gave him a soft smile.

"I love you Rocket." She quietly whispered as she closed her eyes, letting the romantic mood of their dance settle in.

"I love you too, Vicki." Rocket said as he continued to dance with her.

But now those unwanted feelings of not being worthy enough to be called the young woman's boyfriend started to creep in. No! He wasn't going to let them win! Shaking them out of his mind, Rocket held Vicki a little tighter, glad to have her by his side.

The song ended and the two stopped dancing. As the patrons exited the room, the raccoon wanted to do something extra special for his love. He really enjoyed this weekend with Vicki and didn't want it to end, so he needed something to encapsulate just how special this trip meant to him. He just hoped that the gift shops where still open this late…

"You go on ahead. There's something I need to do before we hit the hay." Rocket said to her as they waited for the elevator to arrive.

"Alright. " Vicki leaned down to place a kiss on Rocket's cheek. "See you later. Don't stay out too late." The witch let a playful smirk show on her face as she entered the elevator when its doors opened.

The gesture from her meant only one thing and Rocket grinned back at her. The sooner he got his present for her, the happier the former bounty hunter was going to be once he returned to their suite.

She had asked him what was in the small gift bag when Rocket arrived back to their room.

"It's a surprise." he told the young woman.

"You know how I hate surprises!" Vicki pouted.

Rocket laughed. "Well, your surprise for me was well worth the wait, so this will be too for you."

Vicki chuckled and promised not to peek inside the bag. "But that won't stop me from playing Twenty Questions." She stated.

"All of my answers are 'no'. Trust me; this will be one surprise you'll be glad to receive." Rocket jested as she crawled into bed next to her.

"It better be worth it…especially after what comes next." Vicki gazed seductively at her boyfriend.

"I like the way you think." The raccoon muttered as he dimmed the lights to a low glow in the room.

* * *

><p>The following morning was a little chaotic. The couple overslept and nearly missed their checkout time. Then they made a mad dash to the spaceport to catch their flight back home. As the spaceship made its journey, Rocket eyed his carry-on bag. Vicki's gift was safely tucked inside. He grew nervous, hoping his choice was the right one for the teen. He looked over at her was she was peacefully napping in the seat next to him. Rocket would do anything for Vicki and her for him. Hopefully his small token of love would provide the perfect ending to their romantic weekend.<p>

Finally the ship docked at the very same port they had left not only a few days ago. When Rocket and Vicki spotted the rest of the guardians waiting for them, the heroes bombarded the couple with questions about their weekend.

"Did you two have fun?" Drax asked.

"How was that dance the hotel held?" questioned Gamora.

"I am Groot?"

"Did you get laid?" Peter said to Rocket.

"Peter!" everyone scolded. "I'll tell you later." Rocket whispered to the thief, but quickly retracted his statement when Vicki lightly punched the raccoon in the arm as a warning not to kiss and tell.

Since her flight back to Earth was leaving in a few hours, the group decided to go out for dinner before sending Vicki off. After an enjoyable meal filled with storied and future plans, the heroes made their way to the gate where Vicki's flight was. Each of the guardians said their good-byes to the young witch and gave Rocket and her some space. When they were alone, Rocket fumbled the small package in his paws.

"Vicki…here." He said, thrusting the gift to her as his nerves where getting the better of him.

"Oh." She looked at the present and opened it. Inside the small jewelry box was a gold locket with a snowflake etched in silver on the cover. When she opened the locket, an inscription was inside.

"I'll be there and there is nothing I won't do." Vicki read. She let a coy smile appear. "That's from my favorite song."

"I know." Despite it was from a more recent song, the raccoon admitted that the lyrics of the late 90s R&B jam perfectly reflected his and Vicki's love for one another. "Look, I know I'm not the most suave guy, but I just wanted to give you somethin' special."

"Rocky. It's perfect." The witch told him.

"Really?!"

"Yes. It's simple and straight to the point, just like you. Now, how about helping me with this?" Vicki asked, showing the necklace in the palm of her hand.

Kneeling, she let Rocket place the locket around her neck and closed the clasp shut. Before standing, Vicki embraced Rocket. He was startled at first, but returned her affections.

"Thank you for the most perfect weekend. And thank you for the locket as well. I love you." She whispered in his ear.

"I love you too." Rocket whispered back.

They kissed just as Vicki's flight was boarding. She turned and waved back at the raccoon before entering the spaceship. With a satisfied grin of his face, Rocket was happy that the romantic weekend was a success. Even in that short amount of time, the couple enjoyed their time together and their bond was deepened and strengthened because of it. After all, the things we do for love are always worth their weight they carry, no matter how one feels about it.

THE END


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